Weighing-machine.



vN0. 7|2,006. Patented Oct. 28, |902.

W. E. RICE.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

(Application and my 27. 1901. (lo ANudel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

Patented Oct. 28, |902. W. E. RICE.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

(Appucmon med my 27, 190x,

No. 7|2,'006. Patent Oct. 28, `|902.

w. E. mce.- #SIGNING IAGIIIIIE..

Appxminn mea my n1. 1901. (lo lodol 3 Shun-Shut 3.

, Figs. 75 g\\\\\ \I`\ V 7.9 .A jr a o 73\ 6 of/71L 78 fz'inasses: Juve .n

www by L4 0W WM delays'.

.mx mi nul m. Mmmm, Mmmm, n v:v

UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICE.

VALTER E. RICE, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

WEIGHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,006, dated ctober 28, 1902.

Application led May 27,1901. Serial No. 62,020. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WALTER E. RICE, of Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weighingdl/Iachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to weighing machines employing a beam and a poise moved to a position of balance on the beam by a motor, the balancing of the beam being automatically performed in a novel manner in accordance with my invention.

The invention has among its objects to simplify machines of this character and render their operation accurate and sure, to render them coin-controlled, and to provide means for energizing the motor by the weight of the object to be weighed.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a rear elevation, partly in section, of an embodiment of my invention in which the clock-motor for moving the poise is wound by hand, the interior of the casing being exposed by theremoval of the back. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section through the casing, showing a side elevation of the mechanism. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section of the beam, partly broken away. Fig. 4 represents a plan view of the clock-motor. Fig. 5 represents a diagrammatic View of the electrical connections, certain parts therein being transposed in position and represented symbolically. Fig. 6 represents a detail View showing a modified form of circuit-controlling means. Fig. 7 represents a rear elevation showingmechanism for winding the clock-molfor by the weight of the object to be weighed. Fig. 8 represents a sectional View of the platform construction in said mechanism.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, 1 indicates a casing inclosing the weighing mechanism and having a glazed opening 2,through which the beam 3 may be observed bya person standing on the weighing-platform,and a removable back cover. (Not shown.) The beam is fulcrumed at 4 and is connected with the platform by the usual devices including a link connection 5, pivoted to the beam at 6.

7 is a sliding poise registering with suitable graduations 8 on the beam and connected to a ban d 9, which is shown as continued through the poise, but obviously might be in two sections interrupted by the poise. The connection, as shown in Fig. 3, is by means of a screw passing through the poise and into a small block attached to the upper side of the band. The poise moves on rollers 10 10 and is propelled by the band whose ends wind on and are attached to two drums 11 12, journaled by arbors 13 14, respectively, at the outer or free end and the inner or fulcrum end of the beam. The outer drum-arbor 13 is fast to the beam and has attached to it 011e end of a volute spring 15,whose other endis attached to the drum 11, said spring constituting a power-storing device exerting on the drum a continuous yielding torque tending to move the poise out on the beam. The inner drum 12 is fast on its rotary arbor 14, to which is also secured a ratchet-wheel 16, engaged by a spring-pressed pawl 17, pivoted to the face of a gear-wheel 1S, the latter forming part of a train which includes a fly 20. A separate gear-train connects the arbor 14 with a drum 21, on which is wound a band 22. The whole forms a clock-train, in which the windingdrum is on a separate arbor from the winding-ratchet.

The band 22 passes downward to a connection with a horizontal lever 23, pivoted at 24 to the casing and adapted to be depressed by the engagement of a pin or stud 25 on an arm 26, attached to a shaft 27. On said shaft outside of the casing in a position to be operated by a person standing on the platform is a crank or handle 28, whose downward oscillation causes the pin 25 to engage and depress the lever 23. After such depression and its release the handle 28 will be returned by a spring 29, attached to the arm 26. A dashpot 30, whose piston is connected bya link 31 with a projection 260 on the arm 26, to which projection and the piston the link is pivoted, as indicated in the drawings, causes the oscillation of said arm in either direction to occur gradually. A pivoted detent 32 normally engages the fly 2O and restrains the geartrain 19. Therefore when the lever 23 is depressed, the poise 7 being out on the beam, the

IOO

. independent drums, on which the tape is wound, constructed, and operating in the described manner, avoids all slipping and backlash.

Detent 32 bears the armature of an electromagnet 33, mounted on the beam 3 and whose circuit includes wire 34, battery 35, springcontacts 36 36, wire 37, fixed spring-contact 38, coacting contact 39 on the beam, and the beam itself. Said circuit, if closed at the contacts 36 36, will be completed through the contacts 38 39 by the rise of the beam, and the magnet 33 will be energized, so as to release the fiy 20. Provision is made for completing the circuit of magnet 33 through the agency of a coin, which being deposited in a slot 40 falls through a chute 41, and after oscillating an upper lever 42, whose purpose will be hereinafter explained, falls onto a lower lever 43, and after oscillating the same falls into a coin-receptacle 44. The lever 43 makes a metallic connection between the contacts 36. 36.

In parallel with the circuit of magnet 33 is a circuit, including the battery 35, wires 45 46, spring-contacts 47 47, adapted to be connected by the upper coin-lever 42, and two mercury-cups 48 48, in which normally reside the terminals 4949 ot' an electromagnet 50, contained in a hollow beam-Weight 5l, which normally rests on a partition 69 of the casing 1. Said Weight also carries a pivoted detent 52, bearing the armature of magnetr 50 and normally pressed by a spring 53 into position to engage an arm 54 on a pivoted latch 55, so as to prevent said latch from rotating in a lefthandward or anticlockwise direction. The head or lip of said latch is beveled and adapt- `ed to be displaced in a contrary direction by a bail or loop 56, carried by the beam 3, so as to automatically engage said bail with the latch when the beam descends. A springweight from the beam and permitting the latter to rise. It the Weight 51 is lifted by the beam for any substantial distance, the electrodes or contacts 49 49 will leave the mercury-cups 48 48 and open the circuit of the magnet 50. A guide-pin on the weight occupying a complemental socket in the partition 69 serves to position the Weight when the latter descends to rest.

When the lever 43 is oscillated by a cointhe beam being up-it is engaged and held in the position to which it is oscillated by a pivoted latch 58, yieldingly moved toward engaging position by a spring 59 and connected by a cord or wire 60 with a bell-crank lever 61, pivoted -to a fixed support and having an arm engaged by a pin 62 on the link connection 5. As said pin 62 rises with the descent of the beam, the latch 58 will be retracted and the lever 43 released and allowed to assulne its normal position and break the circuit of the magnet 33 when the beam has descended to a position of balance. The object of this device is to maintain the circuit of magnet 33 in operative condition until the beam balances and then break it, so as to prevent the obtaining of more than one weight for one coin.

An alternate arrangement is shown in Fig. 6, in which a magnet G3, included in the circuit of magnet 33, holds the lever 43 in the position to which it is moved by the coin until said circuit is broken at the contacts 38 39 by the descent of the beam to a position of balance.

64 is a lever normally held by a spring 65 in a position to obstruct the coin-chute 4l and connected by a cord or wire 66 with a lever 67, adapted to be engaged by a pin 68 on the poise when said poise is at the inner end of its travel, so as to retract the lever 64. This arrangement arrests and saves the coin until the poise has been retracted by manipulating the handle 28 from the position which it had assumed at a previous weighing.

The operation of the above-described embodiment of my invention is as follows: Let it be assumed that the beam 3 is graduated from 'titty pounds to one hundred and fifty pounds and that a person'weighing between these limits steps on the platform to be weighed. It the poise 7 is not already at the inner limit of its travel, the person, following directions displayed on the machine, oscillates the handle 28 so as to .retract the poise, releases said handle, and then deposits his coin. The coin first oscillates the lever42 and closes the circuit of the weight-magnet 50, and as the persons weight is causing the beam to pull upwardly (but with insufficient force to lift the weight 5l) the accompanying release of the latch 55 will allow the beam to detach itself from lthe Weight and rise to the limit of its upward travel. 4'Ihe rise of the beam completes the circuit of the magnet 33 through the contacts 38 39, said circuit having already been closed at the contacts 36 36 by the oscillation of the lever 43 through the continued descent of the coin, and magnet 33 oscillates the detent 32 and releases the fly 20, causing-the poise 7 to move out on the beam under the pull of the spring15. Immediatelyuponthepoisereachf TIO ing a position of balance, causing the beam to descend and break the circuit of magnet 33 at the contacts 38 39, the fly 2O will be restrained, and the travel of the poise stopped, whereupon the beam will swing freely in a position of balance. As the beam balances, the pin 62 oscillates bell-crank lever Gl, releasing the coin-lever 43 from latch 5S and opening the circuit of magnet 33 at the contacts 36 36. When the person steps off the platform, the descent of the beam automatically rengages it with its weight 5l. New let it be assumed that the weight 5l when carried by the beam 33 adds one hundred pounds to the reading of the poise on the beam. If a person weighing more than one hundred and fifty pounds steps on the platform, the poise being retracted to its initial position indicating fifty pounds, the beam will of course rise and carry with it the weight 5l, after which, since the circuit of the weight-magnet 50 is then opened by the removal of its contacts 49 40 from the mercury-cups I8 4S, the subsequent evolutions of the beam will be performed with the attached weight 51. The beam rises and brings together the contacts 3S 39, and upon the deposit of a coin the poise moves out and stops at a position of balance as hereinbefore described, thepersons weight being calculated by adding one hundred pounds to the reading of the poise.

The slight disturbance of balance due to the partial shifting of the weight of the band 9 may be compensated for in the calibration of the scale 8 or in any other suitable manner.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate au embodiment of my invention wherein the weight of the person or other object to be weighed is utilized to wind the clock-train at the fulcrum end of the beam, manual winding being thereby dispensed with. In place of the handle 28 outside of the casing I attach an arm 7l to the shaft 27 carrying arm 26 and connect this by a wire or cord 72 with the rear end of alever 73, pivoted at 74 to the weighing-platform 75. Over the platform 75 and hinged thereto at 76 I locate an auxiliary platform 77 to support the person being weighed and connect said auxiliary platform with the outer end of lever 73 by a link 7S. The auxiliary platform is normally elevated and the rear end of lever 73 depressed by a spring 79, connecting the outer end of said lever with the main platform, said spring being of sufficient strength to depress the lever 23 and wind up the clocktrain in the beam. The main platform 75 has its usual system of levers to transmit movement to a link connection SO, and thence by Way of a lever 8l and the link connection 5 to the beam 3. The absence of a persons weight on the platform 77 allows the spring 79 to elevate said platform and wind up the clock-motor. lVhen the person to be weighed steps on the platform 77, he depresses said platform upon the main platform 75, putting thc spring 7 9 under tension for its next winding effort and relieving the lever 23 of the tension of said spring and the weight of the lever 73.

Various modifications may be made in the construction which I have described without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claiml. A weighing-machine comprising a beam and poise, a power-storing device carried by the beam and arranged to shift the poise therealong, actuating means mounted independently of the beam and accessible to the person using the scale, and connections between said means and the power-storing device whereby said means operates to restore power to said device.

2. A weighing-machine comprising a beam and movable beam-balancing means, a powerstoring device arranged to move said means into beam balancing position, and means operable by the weight of the object to be weighed for restoring power to said device.

A weighing-machine comprising a beam and a poise shift-able therealong, a powerstoring device arranged to shift said poise, and means operable by the weight of the object to be weighed for restoring power to said device.

4i. A weighing-machine comprisingabeam, a poise movable therealong, means including a power-storing device arranged to automatically bring said poise to a beam-balancing position, and means operable by the weight of the object to be weighed for restoring power to said device.

5. A weighing-machine comprising a beam and movable beam-balancing means, a powerstoring device arranged to move said means into beam balancing position, a platform adapted to support the object being weighed, weighing connections between said platform and the beam, and means actuated by the descent of the platform for restoring power to said device.

G. A weighing-machine comprising a beam and movable beam-balancing means, a powerstoring device arranged to move said means into beam -balancing position, a platform adapted to support the object being weighed, weighing connections between said platform and the beam, a second power-storing device actuated by the descent of the platform, and connections therefrom to the first-said device whereby power is restored to the latter upon the ascent of the platform.

7. A weighing-machine comprising a beam, a poise thereon, a detachable weight adapted to increase the weighing value of the poise, provisions whereby the descent of the poise end of the beam automatically attaches the weight thereto, weight-detaching means, and provisions whereby the rise of the beam with weight attached renders said weight-detaching means inoperative.

8. A weighing-machine comprising a beam, a poise thereon, a detachable weight adapted IOO IIO

to increase the weighing value of the poise, beam, a latch-releasing electromagnet, a ciran electric circuit to detach said Weight, and cuit controlling' said magnet, and provisions provisions whereby the rise of the beam With whereby the rise of the beam with Weight at- Weight attached renders said circuit inoperatached renders said circuit inoperative.

5 tive. I In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig- 15 9. AWeighing-machine oomprisingabeam, nature in presence of two Witnesses. a poise thereon, a detachable Weight adapted WALTER E. RICE. to increase the Weighing value of the poise, a Witnesses: latch automatically engaging by the descent R. M. PIERSON,

Io of the beam for attaching said Weight to the C. F. BROWN. 

